Hide and Seek
by sonny's girlfriend
Summary: Two months after Viki's failed revolution, Sonny has gotten involved in another messy situation. Spooner and Calvin, naturally, are drawn into the fray.
1. Spooner's Rude Awakening

**Hide and Seek**

Del Spooner blinked blearily at the alarm clock next to his bed. Who would be outside his door at 2:30 in the morning? Whoever it was had chosen an incredibly lousy night to bother him. He had only gotten back from the workplace an hour ago due to a an especially ugly homicide case. _Wait_. He suddenly sat up straight. _This could be serious_. It wasn't unheard of for witnesses to seek out detectives at their homes, or even...the murderer. Gun in hand, he made his way quietly toward the door, keeping to the side, in case his visitor had a gun of his own...

"Detective! Detective Spooner, please wake up..." A very familiar voice could be heard whispering urgently when Spooner was only a few feet away.

"Sonny!" Locks came undone as Spooner proceeded to give the robot entrance as soon as possible. It wasn't safe for Sonny to wander around alone since the NS5 crisis that occurred over two months ago. He was likely to get shot at or told to jump off a bridge...not that he'd have to follow the command.

"Get in he...what the hell?" The detective gawked as Sonny moved quickly past him, dressed in a coat and hat and holding someone in his arms. "Sonny, who is this? What's going on?" He knew it had to be an emergency of some sort since they had agreed not to meet at his apartment. This went for Dr. Calvin as well. It would be bad if people caught wind of an NS5 just 'hanging around' either human, since they had become somewhat famous due to their role in Vicki's attempted take-over. Facts had been edited from their story right and left to cover up Sonny's role in it. They had agreed that it would be better for Sonny to remain "decommissioned". People wouldn't be looking for him if they thought he had been destroyed.

Dr. Calvin had quietly fixed up his arm, given him a new serial number, and sent him off, as one of the employee hand-outs, to another roboticist's family. The higher-ups at U.S.R. had decided that giving out NS5s to people in the company would be a good way to rebuild public trust in the robots. It also didn't cost the company anything to give them out to employees since almost no one was buying anyway.

Normally Sonny's records wouldn't need to be obscured, but the investigations into the NS5 crisis of two months ago hadn't died down in the least, and certainly wouldn't anytime soon. People wanted answers, someone had to pay, and robots everywhere needed to be reassessed. The Three Laws of Robotics, which served as the building blocks for all advanced robots, were being called into question. If Sonny was found out, he would surely be destroyed, after a thorough questioning and analysis of his unique structure, both which needed to be avoided at all costs.

"I'm very sorry about this, Detective, but I didn't know where else to go. The situation I find myself in is somewhat beyond my ability to handle. I believe it falls directly into your field of expertise, unfortunately." Spooner turned to face him at the end of this, having finished relocking the door.

"Okay then." Del raised his eyebrows. "First thing's first. Who's your companion, and do you want her in on this conversation?" The person in question appeared to be a thirteen or fourteen year old girl dressed in a very dirty pair of pajama pants and T-shirt, with humongous bags under eyes, probably due to lack of sleep. She was positively glaring at him from under her messy brown hair, only half of which was still held up by the dangerous looking hair pin on top of her head.

"I'm not talking to him. I hate him. You called him 'Detective'! John! How could you..." Okay, she wasn't so much staring at him as through him, thought Spooner.

"Please trust me, Alex, I wouldn't have brought you here if I didn't trust this man. He is a very good person, he'll..."

"I can't believe you! Put me down, I want out! I...I don't need you help! You're mean and you lie! You...you...I hate you..." Her spluttering rage broke down into disconsolate sobbing as she convulsively attempted to twist out of Sonny's grasp. Sonny looked slightly stricken at her words. Not wanting her to get hurt, he carefully sat her on the ground, at which point she crawled over to a nearby chair and, not bothering to sit in it, buried her head in her arms to more comfortably sob her heart out.

"Well, you've certainly found yourself a charming traveling companion, Sonny" Spooner wondered abstractly whether Sonny would recognize the dripping sarcasm in his voice for what it was. "Care to explain miss ungrateful rag-doll here?"

"Of course, Detective. I apologize for her behavior. She is only a child..."

"I am not, I'm fourteen!"

"...well, her father was kidnapped recently, and her mother is out of the country. She is undergoing trauma, and wouldn't be this rude normally."

"How recently?"

The question, Sonny surmised from his previous comment, referred to Alex's father. He lowered his voice to a whisper. "Her father was killed very early this morning. She doesn't know yet, although she very nearly witnessed it. Apparently the killers are convinced she has evidence against them and are searching for her as well." He paused. "Detective, if I may ask, do you have any food she could eat? She hasn't eaten anything since this morning."

"Stop whispering! You're both jerks! I'm not some sniveling little.."

"Hey, if you're not hungry that's fine, but Sonny here was trying to convince me you needed feeding." Spooner watched with more than a little satisfaction as her mouth snapped shut. She looked away sulkily and her eyes started leaking again.

"Who needs food?" She said it mostly to herself though, and as Spooner made his way toward his miniature fridge she kept him in the corner of her eye. She turned completely as he brought out some cold chicken in a take out box and a half eaten pie. He fished out a fork as well, and placing it in the pie, walked over to her.

"It's a little old, but it won't kill you. And the pie's to die for anyway."

If he was holding out for laughter it wasn't going to come, but she took the pie quickly, in any case, and began inhaling it. "Well, then, guess you were hungry..." Spooner pursed his lips. "You know, you kind of have a special odor too. You're welcome to the shower. You need it. In fact, I insist." The last comment finally elicited a glare, but she was unwilling to stop eating even so.

"Actually, Detective, she might have considerable trouble taking a shower. She has hurt her left ankle and can't put any weight on it." Sonny had been standing off to the side, observing the goings on with his unique blend of curiosity and somewhat eerie understanding.

"Really. Well, Alex, that's your name, right? I have a more than decent first aid kit and could probably help that a little bit if you want. In fact, I even have an ice pack I keep in the freezer for emergencies." He looked back to Sonny. "As for taking a shower, you could help her there. Since you're a robo..."

"No!" They both turned to look at Alex. "I can...I don't need your help, Johnny." She quickly looked back down at her food as she said this. Color tinged her cheeks.

"Okaaay. Well, I suppose we can sit you next to the shower and you can wash sitting down."

"That's fine. Do you...have any water?" Spooner noted that food seemed to help her temper extraordinarily.

"Sure. Let me get you some." A moment later he came back with a glass which she downed in a few moments.

"Okay. Bath time." Spooner stepped forward, but her eyes widened in alarm.

"Johnny can carry me." She looked up at Sonny imploringly, arms outstretched, eyebrows up.

Silently, and with a fluidity only robots possessed, Sonny crouched down next to her and gathered her carefully into his arms. Rising smoothly, he turned to follow Spooner to the back of his apartment, where the detective quickly made the shower ready for use, setting clean towels and such out for easy access.

A few minutes later found Sonny and Spooner back in the living room area of the apartment. Sonny was looking at the detective with an expectant face that said '_I know you've got questions.' _It was that look, among others, that continually made Spooner take pause. The humanity Sonny exhibited...was truly amazing, he supposed, since better words wouldn't come.

Spooner pulled his head back out of the clouds and toward the problem at hand. "Okay, Sonny, spill the beans."


	2. Spill the Beans

**Hide and Seek **

Chapter 2

Sonny's artificial brow was furrowed. "'Spill the beans', Detective? Is that another way of saying..."

"Yeah, Sonny, it means tell me what's going on." Spooner was trying not to look exasperated. It was just that he could never predict where the robot would have strange gaps in general knowledge. It was strange when considering the fact that all the NS5s, Sonny included, had enough 'book learning' programmed into them to qualify for more than one college degree. Sonny's knowledge of mathematics, for instance, far surpassed his own.

"Of course, Detective. Do you mind if I remove these?..." Sonny was wearing a long coat and hat, presumably in order to disguise his robotic nature.

"Nope. 'Course not. I assume you were attempting a disguise?" Spooner, during the fuss over Alex, hadn't looked too closely at Sonny, but now he took the time. Sonny wore a long coat and hat, both rather expensive looking.

"Yes." Sonny's expression changed to one of sadness, and he looked down as he spoke. "They belonged to Dr. Chandler, who was killed very early yesterday morning. But I couldn't take the chance of being recognized, so I took them." Spooner knew Sonny had spent the better part of the last two months acting out the part of 'domestic assistant' to a roboticist's family, someone Susan Calvin trusted.

"So Dr. Chandler was your owner?" It sounded strange asking him that.

"Yes. Alex is his daughter. I can give the coat and hat to her." Sonny looked up, eyes wide and sincere. "When I took them, everything was..." His brow furrowed in troubled recollection. "I believe I was experiencing the human state called 'panic'."

"Hey, it's okay, it's _really_ not a big deal. Just, please, tell me what's happened the last few days. I'm on the verge of putting you through another interview, because it sounds like you witnessed a homicide. Am I right?"

Sonny didn't avoid his eyes this time, but his expression made Spooner's stomach clench. "Yes." _Here we go again...this robot is a trouble magnet!_

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Sonny hated to admit it, but despite the circumstances he was still happy to see Detective Spooner again. It was strange, feeling glad on one level while being afraid and upset on another. Emotions were so complex! He wished he could ask Detective Spooner if what he was feeling was normal, but knew there were more important things that needed to be discussed.

"As you know, I've been living with the Chandlers since a few weeks after Vicki was destroyed. I mostly worked with Alex, who, as you may have noticed, decided to name me Johnny. I couldn't correct her at the time, since I was attempting to play the part of a new, and thus unnamed NS5." At this point Spooner made his way over to a chair to sit down, and Sonny walked along behind him, still speaking.

"Mrs. Chandler left yesterday morning on a two week trip to Europe." His brow furrowed. "I suppose having her out of the way was convenient for the attackers. Last night I was watching DVDs in the upstairs living room when they..."

"DVDs?" Spooner had to ask. So Sonny had stayed up late that night watching...what?

Sonny looked slightly embarrassed. "I was watching Swan Lake."

"Swan Lake. Isn't that a ballet?" Okay, not exactly what he expected to hear Sonny say.

"Yes." Sonny hurried to explain. "You see, I was ordered by Alex to master various styles of dancing so that I might serve as a dance instructor for her. She wants to be a dancer. Individual instruction is far superior to classroom instruction."

Spooner stared at Sonny for a few moments. His eyebrows went up and stayed up. He fought the urge to laugh. "So, that little weirdo has been using you as a ballet teacher? That's so girly! You should've refused! Guess you couldn't though, right?"

"Of course not, Detective." Sonny was looking slightly annoyed. "And I didn't spend all of my time on dancing. When alone, I often watched the news, or looked for interesting programs. They have a small library of books I read through as well." He paused. "Isn't this all beside the point?"

Spooner sobered up quickly. The robot's incredulous activities, however hilarious, were definitely beside the point. Sonny had that pleading look again, too.

"Yeah, it is. I'm sorry. Completely off topic. Please, keep going."

Sonny looked down. He had an unusually turbulent look on his face, as if recalling a particularly unpleasant experience. Then he drew his eyes up to meet Spooner's, and continued his story.

Author's note: I'm really sorry to end this chapter so abruptly, but I decided to re-write the next part as a flashback. I'm also trying to plot the story more completely. It's going to get complicated, and I only have the bare bones figured out. I don't want to have gaping plot holes. Also, I'll probably update on weekends from now on, because I'm starting back to college tomorrow, and I just won't have time during the week. Sorry! Thanks for reading. This is my first story ever, so hopefully it'll turn out like I want. ;)

Er, one more thing. Since I'm new at this, if you want to point out typing mistakes, or make suggestions about characterizations, or whatever, please do. I'm sure I could use (constructive) criticism.


	3. Sonny's Flashback

Chapter 3

Sonny flipped off the DVD player and checked his internal chronometer. He had been right; dawn was still several hours away. Yet he had heard a door open downstairs. Was Dr. Chandler up for some reason? Sonny stood up when he heard someone start up the stairs. Something was wrong, because that wasn't Dr. Chandler. They moved too quickly. Dr. Chandler, due to his shortsightedness, always went slowly, sliding his hand along the handrail.

Deciding caution was best, Sonny moved toward the wall closest to the stairs. Since this room was, in essence, an upstairs living room, there wasn't a door. Fortunately the stairs opened up into a small hallway, and a person had to turn approximately 120 degrees to their left to face it. He listened carefully as the stranger reached the top, but the footsteps moved on. He risked a glance as he heard the opening of the first door to the right, which led to a guestroom. The intruder was a man dressed all in black. _A thief!_ _But why...?_ This person had to be highly skilled at deactivating alarm systems, because despite the Chandlers' excellent home security systems, nothing had gone off. It seemed strange to Sonny that a person who put so much effort into mastering such difficult technology could make more money in a legitimate job. So why bother with this?

_Humans, although capable of using logic, are not logical creatures. _Dr. Lanning had told him that. _Foolish_. Whatever his reasons, Sonny couldn't let him steal from the Chandlers. He made his way to the nearest window, intending to set off the security system himself. That would be the easiest way to avoid a confrontation, which might jeopardize his identity. Still, something bothered him about this. He paused. The man had opened another door! The only other door in the guestroom led to Alex's bedroom.

Sonny immediately changed direction as a sudden fear gripped him. This man could hurt Alex. He didn't have the leisure to set off the alarm and stand back. He made his way into the guestroom in time to hear a frightened yell from Alex's room. He rushed to her open door.

"Get away!" Alex was sitting up in bed, wide eyed with panic. The man was pulling at her arm with his left hand. The other held a gun.

"You're gonna come say hello to your Dad..." He pulled violently at the last word, and Alex fell completely out of the bed, landing in a heap on the ground. She let out a sharp yelp.

Sonny darted forward as this was happening. As he crossed the ten-foot gap separating them, both humans, Alex on the right, the intruder on the left, looked toward him. The man barely managed a look of pure surprise as Sonny grabbed his gun with his left hand and the gun hand with his right, using the man's arm to pull him forward and down. Still holding the man's gun, Sonny promptly brought his left elbow down on the man's head, knocking him cold.

A gasp of horror escaped from Alex as he slumped to the floor. Sonny looked up into her stricken face. "You Killed Him!" Tears were streaming freely now, and she attempted to jump up and toward the door. Her left ankle immediately gave way, and she fell to the floor with a gasp of pain.

Sonny was immediately by her side. "He is only unconscious, Alex." He helped her into a sitting position, observing her wince of pain. He couldn't stop the frown. "You've been hurt."

"My left a-ankle. I landed wrong w-when I was pulled out of bed." She sniffled loudly, and her voice wobbled.

Sonny felt a pang of distress. He found himself hoping the man's head hurt when he woke up. He had been saying something, though, as Sonny was entering the room. He was going to take Alex downstairs to meet her...

"How did you do that?" His train of thought changed direction as he met Alex's worried eyes.

"I had to protect you."

"You...you broke the first law." She was whispering. "You never _told_ me..." Her voice was evening out now, to a soft hum. "Oh well. I'm glad you did though, because you stopped that man." She looked behind him suddenly to where the man lay crumpled. "Shouldn't we tie him up?"

"Yes. I'll look around for something suitable." He got up, glanced around, and moved toward Alex's chest of drawers. He needed to be fast about this. He glanced toward Alex, having come to a decision.

"Alex, I believe there are more men downstairs with you father. I want you to stay here. You can keep the gun, and if a stranger comes up here, you should shoot him." The gun lay near the unconscious man.

"I can't shoot somebody!" He stopped searching the drawers for a moment to look over at her. She was shocked, indignant.

"It is for self-defense. _Please_." He continued searching. "I'm going to go downstairs to help your father, and you'll feel better with some form of protection."

"You're going to rescue my father?" He picked out two pairs of ballet tights and headed toward the stranger. He didn't look at Alex.

"Yes." _Hopefully_. He began tying the man's wrists together behind his back, wrapping one pair of tights around repeatedly, stretching the material taut. He heard an incredulous noise from behind.

"Johnny! Those're my...my ballet tights!"

"Yes". He kept his voice smooth, and luckily she couldn't see his smile.

"Well! You can't use _them_! I mean, this guy's going to wake up and..." He turned in time to see her shrug in annoyance.

"Well, are they even strong enough?"

"I think so. He shouldn't be able to move." He turned back and finished tying his feet together. Then he came over to Alex, picking up the discarded gun on the way. She went wide-eyed at the gun. He knelt down next to her. She continued staring as he took her right hand and placed the gun there.

She frowned down at it. "I'm dreaming. This can't be real. I've never held a gun before, ever." She looked up at him, nervous.

"I'm sorry it isn't a dream. I wish it were." He returned her gaze earnestly, and saw something strange flicker in her eyes.

"You're really not normal at all, are you?" _No, I'm unique._

She was about to say more, but there simply wasn't time. He stood back up.

"You'll be safe here, Alex. I'm going downstairs now, but when I come back up I'll explain everything to you. I promise."

Her expression turned grave. "Be careful. Don't....don't let them hurt my dad."

He smiled reassuringly. "I'll do my best." He left the room quietly.

_At first they'll think I'm one of them, but when they see I'm an NS5, they still won't feel threatened immediately_. He would move into the room acting like the typical NS5, and by doing so, he could probably get close enough to take control of the situation. He didn't know how many there were, though. And, of course they had the Doctor. There were probably at least two of them. If one was near the door, perhaps he could use them as a shield?

He paused at said door. He had carefully made his way down the stairs and across the living room, and now he stood in front of Dr. Chandler's bedroom. Dr. Chandler kept his home computer system there, and the only thing these people could possibly be after was his work. He had invented the uplink, after all. Sonny knew that only the Doctor could access his system, however, so they had probably planned to threaten Alex in order to get him to do what they wanted. How terrible! His lips tightened, and he had to concentrate for a moment. He couldn't walk in there looking angry, with hands balled into fists. Normal NS5s always looked pleasant.

After a moment, he turned the doorknob, and almost immediately heard a voice.

"And now the fun begi..." The man speaking held a gun and was standing across the room, dangerously close to Dr. Chandler. Another man, without a gun, was closer to him, only about six feet away. Sonny hadn't stopped moving when coming in, and instead steadily ate up the distance between them. He kept his expression neutral as he moved. Just a few steps more and he'd have a shield.

"NS5, I order you to stop!" The man with a gun began speaking again. He had dark brown hair, was of average build, and looked about thirty years old. "You will..." His eyes went wide as Sonny jumped forward and grabbed the man between them, who let out a surprised gurgle.

"What're you doing? Let him go right now, and back away!" He had his gun trained on him now. The man in Sonny's arms was slight, so he had to crouch slightly to protect his head.

"Please don't shoot. You'll only hit your friend." A memory of holding Dr. Calvin in a similar position flashed through his mind. This time he was serious, however.

"Perhaps you will recall that the First Law of robotics supersedes the Second Law. You are hurting Dr. Chandler, and I must protect him. Please step away from the Doctor." He hoped the faulty logic would work.

_No!_ He proceeded to do the exact opposite. He moved toward the Doctor suddenly, who was currently sitting in front of his computer with his hands tied behind his back, and pulled him up, placing the gun at his temple.

"You're not getting it. Do what I say, and he doesn't get hurt. Disobey, and I blow his brains out!" _What now?_ Simply obeying would only get him killed. The door was still open. He could let the man go and jump for it. Perhaps Mr. Gun would let the Doctor go in favor of following him into the living room?

"Don't do it! He's lying! He's going to kill me later! He's sent someone after Alex! Protect her! I order...umpf!"

"Shut the hell up!" Mr. Gun, who had put the Doctor in a head lock when pulling him up earlier, used his left arm, the one wrapped around his neck, to exert pressure on his wind pipe. Sonny watched the next few moments in horror.

The Doctor, obviously distraught and panicking, twisted forward and to the right, gaining temporary leverage. He brought his arms up quickly as well, and his right elbow connected violently with Mr. Gun's right elbow. The gun went off.

The three remaining inhabitants in the room stared as the corpse fell to the floor. Mr. Gun backed away from the body, which was quickly forming a pool of blood. He moved the gun back to Sonny, who was still transfixed. A cold horror was creeping through him. He could hear the distant sound of safety glass breaking. Something he had covered up two months ago was coming out, flooding out in a sickening mass of anguish, terror, guilt. The list went on. _No... no...how could this happen...I need you..._

He was backing up, away from the dead body. He had to get out, escape the grisly truth.

"You damn robot! You're _dead_!" He vaguely registered the threat, but only the gunshot snapped him out of it. He was still holding the other man captive, but he had somehow moved to the doorway. He threw the man forward violently, simultaneously throwing himself out of the room. He heard gunshots behind him as he sprinted across the living room and back up the stairs. In a surreal moment, he snatched the Doctor's coat and hat off the hat stand at the base of the stairs. He would need a disguise. A second later he was up the stairs and tearing toward Alex's room.

"Alex! We have to go now!" He slammed the door open and shut behind him. Going straight to her window, he smashed it out as cleanly as he could, then rushed back and scooped her up. Before she had a chance to react, he jumped out of the window and landed as softly as he could, just as she was beginning to scream, having just registered the fall. Without a second's hesitation, he sprinted off into the night.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Author's note: In case you're confused, this is a flashback Sonny is recounting to Detective Spooner

To Straya: Sorry for not e-mailing you back. I'll do it soon, though, probably tomorrow night. ï I hope your move is going well. And your fan art is so good! I wish I could draw...


	4. Going Over the Facts

Chapter 4

Sonny paused after recounting his escape from the Chandler house. He had just given Detective Spooner a lot of information, so it was probably time for moment of thought. A minute passed in silence before Spooner spoke.

"Wow. Sonny, you've...been busy. It's too bad the Doctor had to die like that. At least his daughter didn't see. Being a homicide detective, believe me, I know it isn't something she'd forget anytime soon." Spooner leaned forward to stretch his back. Sonny glanced down, an unhappy look on his face.

"Okay, so where were you all day yesterday? I take it you think you're being followed?"

"Yes. It would be in their best interest to eliminate all witnesses, and Alex could theoretically bear testimony in trial against them. Moving around during the day seemed too dangerous, since a drive-by shooting would be a simple way to kill us both. Also, many people aren't fond of my kind right now."

Spooner leaned back again, putting his right hand behind his head. "I see. That all makes perfect sense. The Chandler's house is some distance away, I take it?"

"It is on the outskirts of Chicago, so it would've taken us about six hours to reach your apartment, at which point it would've been mid-morning. You would have been at work, and we would be targets. Around four-thirty in the morning we came across an old city block scheduled for demolition tomorrow. We carefully broke in and waited out the day. We left the demolition site at around nine in the evening and came here as quickly as we could." Sonny paused for a second, glancing down.

"As I said earlier, I had promised to tell Alex the truth about myself, so she does know about my unique design. She also knows my name is Sonny. She is...simply stubborn about using it. Perhaps I should stop responding to Johnny?" Sonny looked up, brow furrowed.

"Sonny, just give it a little time. People are just that way sometimes. She may not even be doing it consciously. But not responding sounds like it should work." Del smiled reassuringly. He moved his arm back down to his side, thinking about the last twenty four hours. He needed more information.

"Sonny, could you draw me a picture of these people? It sounds like a professional job, and I want to figure out where they're coming from, and why. You mentioned something earlier about an uplink?"

"Yes, I commented that the uplink used to upgrade the NS5s was probably what they were after. Nothing else would be worth the effort they went to. They can't be up to anything good, though, by trying to recreate this technology." Sonny frowned, looking away for a moment.

"In any case, their actions speak louder than words. I feel...that they should pay for what they did. Is that wrong, to feel angry at someone, to...wish them harm?"

Spooner looked into Sonny's eyes for a moment. _He's giving me that damn pleading look again... _

"It's a human emotion, right or wrong, Sonny. And it's a necessary emotion. Think about the people who fight crime for a living. Hopefully they're more interested in putting the bad guys away so they can't hurt more innocent people, but there's always going to be a little righteous anger toward somebody who's willing to hurt and kill for personal gain." He paused. He needed to relate this directly to Sonny.

"What I'm saying is, anger itself isn't particularly good, but if you can channel it into actions that will help humanity, it can become a positive thing. Does that make sense?"

"I think I understand." The robot did look more focused, a bit more calm than he did a moment before, so...he must've said something right.

"I can sketch their pictures for you now if you have the materials." Spooner smiled. C_hanneling your anger, Sonny?_

"Great." Spooner stood up, walked across the room to a book bag, unzipped it, and pulled out a notebook with pen attached. He paused for a second, then reached down and dug in the bag for another pen.

"Heh, I guess you'll be wanting two pens." He stood up and began making his way over to a small desk, talking around his shoulder. "I keep forgetting you're a robot, Sonny."

"I prefer it that way, Detective." Sonny, trailing along behind, wore a thoughtful expression as he spoke. "I don't mind being a robot. It's just that people don't easily associate things like personality or emotion with robots." Taking the pens from Spooner, he began to draw.

"So, you said Dr. Chandler designed the uplink himself?"

Sonny looked up to respond, pens never ceasing. "Dr. Chandler was the engineer who originated the uplink and did most of the developmental work on it. After Vicki's attempted revolution, he began working on a way to safeguard the uplink against unintentional use. It was never meant to control the NS5s, you know, but instead was supposed to supply them with useful information. It was Viki who manipulated it into a controlling device, although the potential for such use, unfortunately overlooked by Dr. Chandler, was always there. After the attack, as you've doubtless heard in the news, U.S.R. entirely eliminated the uplink for future use, and Dr. Chandler was subsequently reassigned. Because of the uplink's negative status, Dr. Chandler only talked about his continued work on it with family and a few close friends. Living in the house as I did, I overheard many of his conversations as a matter of course. He had hoped to reintroduce it to U.S.R. several years from now, after the company's policy might allow for the possibility. Dr. Chandler probably possessed the only remaining detailed blueprints for the uplink on his home computer."

"I guess he just couldn't let go of something he'd put so much time and energy into. Too bad it had to end like that. You know, I think Dr. Lanning would've done the same thing." Spooner, who was striding back and forth, didn't see Sonny flinch at the mention of Dr. Lanning.

"So he must've safe guarded it against hackers, and that's why the criminals needed his help to get the information, right?"

"I think so. Nothing else on his computer could possibly have interested them. They must've planned to force his cooperation by threatening harm to Alex. Dr. Chandler had discussed at different times several ways his files had been safe guarded. For instance, a retinal scan and voice recognition were both necessary. I think he may have had two or three passwords as well, which needed to be entered in the right order. Circumventing these tests by software hacking, or by removing the hard-drive and placing it in another computer would almost certainly trigger an electromagnetic pulse bomb built into the hard-drive, which would instantly wipe the entire system. He was very proud of the level of security surrounding his work, and confident of its safety."

"He had every right to be. That's quite a system. And it obviously wasn't uncalled for." Spooner put his right hand back behind his head, and looked up at the ceiling.

"Though, the irony of it is, if he hadn't had such a hot system, they probably would've just burgled the house during the day." He stopped pacing.

"You know, they may have done just that, and come to the conclusion that they'd need his help. Unless they were bugging him? Or one of his so-called friends was actually an informant..." He looked up suddenly.

"Sonny, do you know all the names of everyone Dr. Chandler talked to about the uplink?"

"I can run through my memory and find their names in a few minutes time."

"Great." He started to pace again.

"Tomorrow I'm going to do a little research on these people, try to dig up some clues." He looked back over at Sonny and did a double take.

"Sonny?" His eyes were closed, although it appeared that they were moving underneath his eyelids. It looked to Spooner like he had fallen asleep while standing up, and was dreaming. _He must be looking through his memory._ That certainly served as a reminder of Sonny's robotic nature. _Sure could be handy, though._ Sifting through certain memories would be very useful. _I wonder if he can turn off memories too. I wouldn't mind forgetting certain things...no Spoon, don't go there. You just stopped having the nightmares, no need to bring 'em back._

After suppressing certain unwanted images of the car wreck from several months ago, he turned back to the current dilemma. _Okay, these people wanted the uplink. What was their motive? To gain control over the NS5s like Viki did?_ That wasn't a very comforting thought. At least Viki had humanity's best interests at heart. These thugs definitely weren't so noble. Images of robots robbing banks, taking hostages for money, assassinating powerful people, came into Spooner's mind. _Yeah, and the criminals responsible could be safe and sound, miles away, and untraceable_.

"Here are the names." Spooner looked up to see Sonny holding out a piece of paper. _Whoa, when did he get done? Guess they'd be good as spies, too._

"There are only seven. He was very careful about who he spoke to." Sonny went back to drawing after handing over the paper.

"You seem distracted, Detective. Have you thought of something?" Sonny looked up at him attentively as his hands moved rapidly over the paper.

"Yeah, I've thought of a few questions I'd like to ask Dr. Calvin, actually. Namely, exactly what changes did U.S.R. make in the NS5s before re-issuing them? I don't suppose you know if they actually removed the uplink technology from their end as well?"

"I don't know. It seems that they would as an added precaution, but perhaps it was hardwired in and removing it would've cost them too much time and money. U.S.R. is attempting to cut its losses, after all."

_Yeah, but going the cheap route never pays off in the long run. If these criminals find a way to use the uplink, U.S.R.s going to be in some serious hot water._ "I'll ask Dr. Calvin about it tomorrow at work. She should be able to find out, if she doesn't already know."

There was a lull in conversation, during which Sonny finished his sketching. He put the pens down, straightened up the papers, and handed them to Spooner. "Here you are, Detective, I've labeled them for you. 'Upstairs' refers to Alex's attacker, 'hostage' is the man I used as a shield, and 'leader' is the man responsible for Dr. Chandler's death."

"Great, these should make things a lot easier. I can run them through the police database tomorrow." Spooner moved to pack away the sketches, yawning on the way. He turned to look at his clock. _No wonder I'm yawning_.

"Speaking of tomorrow, Sonny, I'm going to be dead on my feet if I don't get some shut-eye. And whatever happened to Alex? We need to decide what's happening with her either now or tomorrow morning." He blinked a few times. His vision was getting bleary, and his feet seemed to be carrying him toward the bed.

"I'm thinking tomorrow morning, actually." He splayed out, burrowing his head into the pillow. He was really looking forward to a few hours of sleep. In fact, right then seemed like the perfect time to get started...

"Where will Alex sleep?" Spooner winced. _Aww man, the little girl has to sleep too, Spoon!_

"The floor?" He looked up to see a very unhappy Sonny.

"Joking! It was a joke." Spooner sat up slowly.

"Why don't you go rescue Alex from the bathroom, and I'll set something up for her." Sonny turned to go.

"Wait a sec, let me get her something to wear so I can put her stuff through the wash." He nabbed an oversized t-shirt and a pair of shorts with a drawstring, and handed them over. Sonny turned away once again to deal with Alex. Del glanced around and came to the only logical conclusion. She was a guest, so she got the bed.

"Aww, this sucks." Del grabbed the pillow and blanket off of the bed, and made his way toward the chair. He fell asleep in only a few minutes, despite the location. As he drifted off, he could hear the muddled sounds of speaking voices...an irritated female voice and a consoling male voice.

Author's note: Hey, sorry for not uploading sooner, like I said I would. I shouldn't make promises like that. Getting back into the school rhythm sapped my energy for a bit. Yeah...I do have a plot worked out though, so that's good, I guess.


	5. Meet the Bad Guys

**Chapter Five: Meet the Bad Guys**

Brandon sat staring at the recently uprooted computer. He had to think of an excuse for how this happened, or his brother was going to kill him. Maybe literally. Or perhaps he'd arrange a trip to the state penitentiary for him that would last, oh…maybe ten or twenty years. A grimace twisted his features. Tonight might screw up his whole life. _It was the stupid robot. What crazy weird robot threatens to kill somebody? _ Everything had been ruined when the doctor was shot. _Stupid man, struggling with someone who's holding a gun to his head, what did he think would happen? _If the robot hadn't come in, though, Brandon never would've used the doctor for protection, and things would be running smoothly right now.

His thoughts were interrupted by a loud groan coming from the back seat. "Ugh…where am I? I think somebody hit me in the head with a sledgehammer…" Josh was finally waking up. They'd found him unconscious in the girl's bedroom, tied up with what looked to be a pair of her pantyhose, when they had chased after the robot. _Friggin' idiot._

"We're heading back to home base," answered Mark, who was driving, or at least sitting in the driver's seat.

"So…we got the blueprints?"

"Nope. The Doctor got killed, is what happened. So we yanked the entire computer. The boss is going to skin us _alive._"

"What?" Josh sat up, unbelieving. "What _happened_?"

"Wha' do you _mean_, 'what happened'? What happened to you? You were knocked out cold, tied hand and foot!"

"I was tied up?

Mark didn't attempt to hide the insolent smirk, "Hand and foot…with women's pantyhose."

Josh frowned and looked down at his hands, thinking back to what had happened. Mark's subtle barb went unnoticed. His eyes widened suddenly in recollection. "It was…an NS5, guys. It came in as I was pulling the girl out of bed." He looked up, eyes still wide, and his voice held a little fear. "I remember now. It was so _fast_, I didn't have time to react."

"What did it do, exactly?" Brandon and Mark were all ears now, something Josh noted nervously.

"Well, it was like it knew Kung Fu or something! It got me in an arm lock, and then lights out." He fingered the tender spot on the back of his head thoughtfully. "It could've killed me. I thought it _was_ going to kill me. It looked…guys, don't laugh about this, but it looked _angry_."

"We're not…"

"That robot…" Mark backed off, having spoken just after Brandon.

"We're not laughing at _all_, are we Mark?" Brandon said slowly, as they exchanged a dark look.

Mark started up again. "Josh…downstairs, that robot practically threatened to snap my neck. It was like a nightmare. Like when they all went haywire before." He paused, his voice going up in pitch. "Wouldn't it be funny, if somebody else had already come up with the boss's idea, and that robot was being controlled by some crazy genius…"

Brandon cut him off. "Mark. Shut up. Calm down. Get back to what actually happened."

"Yeah…um. Well, Brandon held his gun to the Doctor so the robot would back off…but it didn't work. That's why the Doctor got shot. The Doc started struggling…and Brandon's got a trigger finger." Mark glanced back at Brandon, who looked up from his own glum ponderings to glare at him, temper flaring.

"C'mon Mark! The idiot started having a seizure in my arms, practically! Knocked right into my elbow and set the gun off! Damn idiot practically shot himself!

Josh interrupted, curious to learn more about exactly what happened. "So he panicked. We were going to hurt his daughter, it was natural. So…"

Brandon cut back in. "Yeah right, getting himself killed did her a world of good." Brandon looked back toward the computer, having grown tired of glaring.

Josh glared instead his train of thought temporarily broken. "Panicking people don't usually think _logically_, Brandon."

There was a lull in conversation as everyone retreated to his own thoughts. Mark was the first to speak, after a few moments. "You know guys…maybe it was the robot." He'd been its captive, while it talked to them, and couldn't help feeling there was something creepy about it.

"What do you mean?" Brandon was all ears. Blaming the robot sounded good- maybe it could get him out of trouble with his brother.

Mark spoke tentatively. "Well...before the NS5 came in, the Doctor wasn't really being that uncooperative, aside from the obvious. Maybe…maybe he was afraid of the robot?"

Brandon frowned. _Come again? _"That's stupid. Why? Tell me that."

Mark paused for a moment. "I don't know, he just got so freaked out, so suddenly. And that robot wasn't normal. You all agree on that, right? So maybe he knew something about it, or knew it might…I don't know, it used me, a human, to protect itself! It skipped right over the first two laws! Never mind protecting humans! And it was so cold, the way it spoke. It didn't _care_, whether I died or not." He looked down at his hands, and his voice, dropping low, had an intense, nervous timbre. "It didn't act right, or _sound_ right. Robots like that…aren't supposed to exist."

Brandon smirked at the emotional display. "Yeah, I wish it would drop dead too. But you're overreacting, Mark. You're the techno-wiz. All you were supposed to do was get us through security. You're not cut out for the violent stuff. I mean, you didn't even bring a gun, because you'd probably shoot yourself in the foot!"

"So what? I know robots better than you. _Humans_ threaten people with bodily harm, not robots! The three laws, Brandon!" Mark had raised his voice in answer, which only served to tick Brandon off.

"Stop yelling, idiot. I wasn't saying…"

"Mark, you're going to miss our turn." Josh wasn't really uninterested in the conversation, but the raised voices were aggravating his already throbbing head, and his main interest had shifted to getting something for the pain as soon as possible.

He watched as Mark took control of the car and maneuvered inside "home base", which looked like a car lover's play pen. They passed various antique vehicles, and pulled smoothly into a space surrounded on three sides by the antique cars.

Headquarters was really quite amazing. On the outside, it looked like a rich eccentric's car shop. Enter inside, and one would see a gigantic garage filled with older vehicles, most in various states of disrepair. Brandon's father had been a car mechanic, so making the place authentic wasn't a problem. And when the occasional car fanatic showed up, they could do a decent job of showing him around and shooing him back out again. They even sold or purchased a vehicle every few months. The true business was located underneath the garage, however, and after a moment their car began descending on the hidden elevator down to the first level of Daniel's hidden subterranean lair.

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Daniel watched the screen as his brother and company returned. They were back rather sooner than expected. Had something gone wrong? He watched as they left the car and walked toward the elevator. Josh appeared to have hit his head. The man was moving slowly, apparently suffering from slight dizziness, and was holding his head carefully, never turning it quickly in any direction, or tilting it. _Mild concussion, then. Possibly he was knocked unconscious?_ His gaze traveled toward the specialist in the group, Mark. He looked angry and worried. Rather too worried. He quickly glanced at his brother. _Not that look._ Brandon was doing a good job of being angry and petulant at the same time. Daniel had come to associate this with stupid mistakes and disastrously impulsive actions. They obviously hadn't returned with the blueprints, yet they didn't have the doctor, either. (Kidnapping had been planned as a last resort, only to be implemented if Dr. Chandler didn't crack after a few hours at his home, which was very unlikely.) _So_. He had either been killed, or had gotten away. He couldn't logically see the Doctor escaping, not with his daughter asleep on the second floor. Something unforeseen had happened, then? _Or else they didn't follow my directions precisely._

He turned off the view screen, and swiveled in his large comfortable chair to face the door, from where said individuals would be entering in a moment. As they did so, he leaned back, steepling his fingers, and looked at them through half closed eyes. His face remained calm, expressionless. Inside, he was struggling with a rising anger at what he felt was probably his brother's idiocy. But first, he would let them talk, explain themselves. _Then_ he would tear them apart.

"The doctor is dead, I assume." The men exchanged looks that served to confirm his suspicions.

"How did it happen? Start from the beginning, please."

Brandon chose to answer. His expression had deflated substantially. "Mark got us in with no problems, and we tied up the Doctor before he knew what was happening. Josh went upstairs to get the girl, which is where things started going wrong."

Josh stepped in, with a gruff voice. "I got attacked by their robot."

Daniel paused for a second. _Attacked_. "That seems highly unlikely."

"As I was pulling the girl out of bed, it came through the door and before I had a chance to react, it twisted my arm behind my back and knocked me out. I've got the bump to prove it."

"Did it say anything?"

"No, it just attack…"

"It said plenty, when it came downstairs." This was from Brandon. "It had a real attitu…"

Daniel cut him off. "Back up. I presume the robot went downstairs after knocking Josh out?"

"Yes. It stepped into the Doctor's bedroom. I ordered it to stop, but instead it came forward and grabbed Mark." Daniel's eyebrows went up. _How…odd_.

"Yeah." Mark picked up for his brother. "He used me as a shield against Brandon, since he had a gun. It was crazy. He practically threatened to _kill_ me, boss."

Daniel focused his gaze on Mark. "You mean the robot, which is an _it_, of course, Mark."

Mark looked down as he answered. "_It_ almost seemed…human. I know that sounds ridiculous, but something about the voice, and what it said. Like it was _rationalizing_ its behavior." He spoke quietly, but very intensely, and with a sincerity Daniel believed was heartfelt.

Something was forming in the back of the crime lord's mind, and his previous anger was slowly dying down as a result. He needed more information about…things._ First, let's get a few things straight about this robot, shall we?_ "All right, let's go back through your conversation with the robot, slowly. It let itself into the room, where you were waiting for Josh to return with the girl." Two heads nodded in his direction.

"Now. Where were you positioned in the room, exactly?"

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At around nine a.m. the next morning, Dr. Calvin received a call at work from one Detective Spooner. Frowning, she put him on.

"Detective Spooner, how may I help you?" They had agreed to keep their distance on tapped lines, so this call came as a surprise to her. What did he want, that couldn't wait until this evening, when she would be home?

"Hey, Doctor Calvin, long time no see. How are things?" Since he wasn't at a visual audio station, she only had his voice to go by. In her opinion, it sounded a little too light and airy. A casual chat for a not so casual reason?

"I'm doing all right. Yourself?"

"I'm good. A little tired. An unexpected friend paid me a visit last night." His tone switched from light and airy to concerned. "You know, Doc, your voice sounds kinda hoarse, are you sure you're not coming down with something?"

She cleared her throat. "Now that you mention it, my throat is getting a tad rough." This was a complete lie, of course, but Spooner had dropped the hint that he needed to speak with her, now, and he was one person she knew better than to brush off.

"That's too bad, maybe you should get something for that, before it gets too bad. Well. I was just calling to ask if you could send me a copy of your company insurance policy again." He sounded sheepish. "I seem to have misplaced it." _Yeah right_. Spooner needed that to be reimbursed for his bike and other damages done to his person by the NS5s. He hadn't misplaced it.

"No problem, Detective. Although if you lose it again you're on your own. I'll send it right now. Goodbye."

"Thanks, Calvin!" She sent it, and fifteen minutes later informed her boss that she would be taking the rest of the day off, since she seemed to be catching a cold. Half an hour later saw her on Del Spooner's doorstep. If she had guessed right, the "unexpected friend" was Sonny. But…how could that be true?

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Next Chapter: Spooner employs Calvin's help, while their unknown foe develops an unhealthy interest in Sonny.


End file.
